AG candidate Mariotti emphasizes ‘economic justice’

GALESBURG — A Democratic candidate for Illinois Attorney General stopped Wednesday in Galesburg to hear and address constituents’ concerns.

Renato Mariotti, a private attorney and former federal prosecutor, first visited Cherry Street Restaurant and Bar, 57 S. Cherry St., for a meet-and-greet with the Knox County Democrats. He then went to Q’s Cafe at 319 E. Main St. for a roundtable discussion about the GOP tax bill with Knox College professor Duane Oldfield and a group of Knox students.

He hoped to hear opinions from Galesburg residents about matters that concern them as part of his ongoing campaign across Illinois.

“The best part about running for attorney general is getting to meet people, learning about the issues they face (and) figuring out what could be done to help do something about those issues,” Mariotti said.

Mariotti, who clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals after law school and worked for almost 10 years as a federal prosecutor, emphasized that he would bring his experience investigating fraud and trying cases in the courtroom if elected. He would focus on matters of “economic justice,” or economic issues that affect large groups of people, and address them in practical ways that attain results quickly, so as not to drain state resources.

Some examples include ensuring the integrity of elections; protecting children from exploitation; protecting workers’ rights; and prosecuting lenders or student loan companies that do not provide customers with flexible options they need to pay back loans over time.

“A lot of times, just having the attorney general say that you’re going to investigate something — get out there and shoot some subpoenas off — that can scare off wrongdoers and get them to think twice about what they’re doing,” Mariotti said.

Mariotti decided to run for attorney general because he was concerned about the country’s direction after President Donald Trump’s election, he said. When incumbent Lisa Madigan announced she would not run for re-election, he saw an opportunity to make a difference.

“It’s one thing to write an op-ed about problems or write on social media — it’s another thing to go out there and do something about it,” Mariotti said. “We go to court and fight for people, and that’s what I can do as attorney general.”